PORT Adelaide veterans Dom Cassisi and Chad and Kane Cornes made surprise appearances at the club’s first official pre-season training session, but it was lanky 19-year-old Matthew Lobbe who stole the show.

Thursday morning’s hit-out, which was compulsory for Power players that have been with the club for three years or less, kicked off with a three kilometre time trial around the Adelaide University grounds.

Young midfielder Travis Boak established an early lead in the nine-man field, but the 199cm Lobbe caught him on the line.

“Matt came flying up behind me right at the end there,” Boak said after the session.

“He’s always been a great runner and I think that’s why the club drafted him. There will be huge expectations on him, so hopefully he can have a great year.”

The Power coaching staff are confident that Lobbe, who spent his first year at Alberton playing in the Port Adelaide Magpies reserves, has the athleticism to become one of the AFL’s new generation of ruckmen.

The young Victorian regularly covered up to 16km playing in the twos at the Magpies last season and new fitness coach Cameron Falloon identified him as a standout after the club’s first running session.

“Matthew Lobbe along with Travis Boak were probably [the standouts]. They both did a pretty good trial time this morning,” Falloon said.

“I don’t know a lot about Matt yet. I met him and did a time trial with him in Melbourne during his off-season. He’s got a big tank and he’s trying to put on weight.

“He’s a very exciting prospect for the club.”

Boak, who emerged as a genuine midfielder in 2008, finished second behind the string bean ruckman/forward, while his mentor Kane Cornes watched on.

“I had a couple of weeks off because I had a bit of surgery done on my groin, so I’m probably a little bit behind, but I ran a reasonable time for what I was expecting and hopefully I can catch that up in the next couple of weeks,” Boak said.

“This, probably, will be the longest pre-season I’ve done and we’re all looking forward to it. I’ll be working on my fitness level over the coming months and hopefully we can get a few skills in there too.

“I really want to work on my kicking this year, so I can become an elite kick.”

Falloon, who has replaced former fitness coach Dan Comerford, said he was pleased with how the club’s youngest players had returned from their post-season break.

“I’ve been surprised with some of the times the guys have pulled out,” he said.

“We had a few guys run their first time trial a few weeks ago, who did a PB. I’m pretty happy that the work ethic seems to be pretty good.”

Skipper Warren Tredrea, who is back in the gym after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction, was also on hand to lend his support on day one of what promises to be a long summer.

But it was another member of the Power’s leadership group Shaun Burgoyne, who is currently in Perth on International Rules duties, that Falloon was looking forward to working with.

“Shaun Burgoyne really excites me,” Falloon said.

“He reminds me a lot of an Adam Cooney or a Ryan Griffen and I’d love to take his game to the next level.”

The Power’s four-seven year players will resume training next Thursday, while those with eight or more years of AFL service won’t return until Monday, November 3.